Midsummer Tokyo shrine

A shrine where people gather even on a midsummer day

On Saturday, June 25, in central Tokyo, the maximum temperature was over 40 degrees Celsius. Even so, worshipers were scattered around at Tokyo Daijingu, a shrine famous for its marriage. There were about 10 chairs with straw cushions on wooden logs in the precincts, and there was a shade on the ceiling. Furthermore, fog was sprayed from above. So people enjoyed the refreshing space. The end of June was the turnaround of the year, and there was also a set of Chinowa-kuguri to remove the evil.

For the remaining six months, I once again swore to myself that I should be honest with myself.

Fog is sprayed from above
at the outdoor resting corner of Tokyo Daijingu,
and it is refreshing even in the summer.

What the privatization of water has brought about

Japan's water in crisis

Japan has many mountains and rivers, so it has been blessed with water. Japan, where tap water is used as drinking water, is rare in the world. It guarantees a minimum of abundance. But the water in Japan is at stake. In the first place, private operation of the water supply business begins with the enactment of the revised Water Supply Law in December 2018. The water supply that had been operated by local governments until then is being privatized. Privatized water services cost more than people's lives.

Japan has abundant forests and rivers,
and has developed technology
while valuing the environment.

Water companies will not repair after an earthquake

The Great East Japan Earthquake occurred around 14:46 on March 11, 2011. One week has passed since the earthquake, and the water outage managed by the local government in Miyagi Prefecture has been resolved. However, water outages have continued for a long time in the housing complex in Sendai City, where private businesses manage water supply. Awareness of water is fundamentally different between local governments that protect residents and companies that emphasize profitability. I hope that the current situation of water privatization will change.

Industrial water without environmental measures

In February 2022, it was announced that Taiwanese semiconductor giant TSMC would "advance" in Kumamoto Prefecture. 

Kumamoto has abundant groundwater, and that groundwater is the basis of cultivation. It seems that the Japanese government has decided to provide TSMC with this precious groundwater free of charge. There are semiconductor manufacturers in Japan as well, but industrial wastewater generated during the production process takes environmental measures. Therefore, Japanese products are costly. If TSMC discharges polluted water without environmental measures, Kumamoto's agricultural products are hopeless.

Japan's clean and abundant groundwater is
the basis of safe vegetables and crops.
Such a relationship with nature itself is ecological.

Summary

Water is a treasure nurtured by nature. Water is an important ecological element such as forests, microorganisms and small animals. To pollute the earth and water is to despise the human race itself. It cannot be converted into money. Be sensitive to things around you that aren't other people's affairs. And let's do what we can.

Beyond Agriculture that Lasted more than 10,000 Years

Mankind stands at a crossroads

Even though human beings are a nuisance to the earth, the earth accepts humans.　However, it's about to reach its limit. It is beyond the permissible limit, and I think that human beings will disappear from the earth as it is.　It's time to change common sense.

Beyond common sense of agriculture

It's time to change common sense. One of them is agriculture. Humans have engaged in agriculture for more than 10,000 years. By clearing the forest, they have grown wheat, rice and vegetables. And plowing became a living business. At that point, people were eager to artificially control nature. The more artificially controlled it is, the more labor it takes and the less vital it is.

Normally Japanese farming uses many fertilizers and pesticides. On the other hand, some farmers grow safe crops. However, their farming work is generally more difficult than conventional farming. Because they don't use chemicals, they have to pull out weeds and crush insects by hand.

Masanobu Fukuoka's natural way of life

Natural farming practiced by Masanobu Fukuoka（1913-2008) has no artificial control. So he doesn't pull weeds or kill insects. His farm is like a forest, with a wide variety of flora and fauna. And his own dwelling is so small and spartan that it blends into the forest. His way of life, which he leaves to nature, is like a hermit. He sowed clay dumplings made from various seeds in the soil. Clay prevents the seeds from drying out and protects them until they sprout. And each seed naturally sprouts at the right time. He actually tried to green the desert with dumplings of more than 100 kinds of various species in more than a dozen countries such as Greece, Spain, Thailand, Kenya, India, Somalia, China and Africa.

　

Source: Masanobu Fukuoka Talks About the One Straw Revolution

"drying mud seed balls in the shed" by Suyash Dwivedi is licensed under CC BY 4.0

Project by SONY, Synecoculture™ and Augmented Ecosystems

According to SONY SCL, Synecoculture™ is as follows:

Synecoculture is a method of farming that produces useful plants while making multifaceted use of the self-organizing ability of the earth’s ecosystem.  It is characterized by a comprehensive ecosystem utilization method that considers not only food production but also the impacts on the environment and health.

 More specifically, "Synecoculture is a method of open-field agriculture that - without the use of any plowing, fertilizers, agricultural chemicals, or anything else except for seeds and saplings - allows for the creation and management of ecosystems that bring out essential qualities of the plants growing in natural state, and produces practically useful crops in ecologically optimized environment." (Source: Synecoculture Manual)

Renewing agriculture to rebuild a broken environment Sony Computer Science Laboratories,Inc.(Sony) (5:46)

I hope the project will spread to the world as soon as possible before the destruction of humankind is certain.

Conclusion

Nature exerts a powerful self-organizing power in a wide variety of combinations. And it is ideal for people to live with nature. If we understand and practice that, I think that human beings will continue to live on the earth.

How Japan regained traditional salt after the war

Salt produced by traditional Japanese methods has been banned for a long time

In 1972, the traditional Japanese salt pans were completely abolished by law. Since then, the salt produced domestically from seawater has been switched to the modern industrial salt manufacturing method, and consumers have been able to remove the components such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium contained in traditional sea salt as impurities.  This event triggered a group of Japanese scholars who are worried about their health and consumers who are interested in food, and started a movement to revive natural salt.

Revival of traditional salt manufacturing and further challenges

The research that began with the clearing of the wilderness was a series of difficulties, but after trial and error, they succeeded in reviving the first sun-sea salt in Japan in 1977. 

However, the Japanese government did not approve the sale of sun-sea salt. And they had to dispose of the sun-sea salt they had made. Therefore, they applied to the government for permission to "distribute members as a sample for research" instead of "selling", and it was finally approved. This was often featured in various media such as television, national newspapers, radio and magazines. The response was great, and the number of members who distributed traditional salt increased dramatically.

The ultimate revival of traditional salt

Without giving up, they repeated daily research and negotiations with the country, and finally in 1984, they revived the traditional sea salt that was concentrated in salt pans and burned in a flat kettle. This salt contains various salts in a well-balanced manner.

Natural salt is finally available in stores

In 1985, the national law to monopolize salt was amended, and the development of traditional Japanese high-salt foods such as miso, soy sauce, pickled plums and pickles began. And in 1989, they founded a traditional salt company.　

Finally, in 1997, a quarter of a century after the total abolition of salt farms, the salt monopoly law was abolished, and the production and sale of salt in Japan was liberalized. In 2002, the salt monopoly law was completely abolished and salt imports were liberalized. Nowadays, a wide variety of salt is on the shelves.

Summary

After the war, traditional salt rich in minerals was banned in Japan. It is the result of the efforts of courageous people to be able to buy traditional salt, which tastes good and is indispensable for health management, at stores.

Traditional salt, rich in minerals, tastes good and is essential for health care. I use it not only for cooking but also for brushing my teeth. 

I pay tribute to the many ancestors who have contributed to the revival of traditional salt.

Source: https://www.uminosei.com/yomimono/uminosei/story/

Toilet Cleaning with Bare Hands

What does it mean to clean the toilet with bare hands?

When cleaning a dirty place, we often use rubber gloves. However, it takes a lot of courage to clean a dirty place without using rubber gloves. Instinctively, it is a very real feeling. The meaning of daring to do so is profound. You may feel a transformation of your spirit on an unconscious level.

People who clean the toilet with their bare hands

There are people in Japan who clean toilets with their bare hands. What amazes me is that some of them are business executives and celebrities. In fact, I've been doing it lately.

My Experience

It's been a month since I started cleaning the toilet with my bare hands. What I've developed is a sense of action and confidence in myself. I feel good every day. For example, I no longer worry about other people's nasty remarks.

Cleaning the toilet with bare hands changed my mind.

What is a toilet?

Toilets are the destination of human excrement. Therefore, keeping the toilet clean is a good consequence of the way people live. In Feng Shui, it is often said that cleaning the toilet will lead to good luck. There seems to be a secret in the toilet.

The toilet is spiritually significant.

Note

However, there are a few things to keep in mind when cleaning the toilet with your bare hands. First, don't force others to do it. If you don't do it voluntarily, it is meaningless. Secondly, keep your hands clean after cleaning. Finally, don't overdo it.

Conclusion

In Japan, there are celebrities who clean the toilet with their bare hands, which is surprising. If you try it, the psychological effect will be great. It's good to try it.

Japanese Hina Dolls as Projection of Happiness

Doll's Festival for daughter's happiness

March 3rd is the Doll's Festival. It's a day for girls. May 5th is a holiday for boys, but for some reason March 3rd is not a holiday. March 3rd is a special day, even if it's not a holiday. In Japan, parents decorate Hina dolls in the hope of their daughter's happiness.

The picture below is the Hina doll set of my home.

Old parents wishing for the happiness of their daughters and their daughters

In some areas, daughters' parents give Hina dolls to their daughters and couples in the hope of their granddaughter's happiness.

When my eldest daughter was born 23 years ago, my parents gave us a doll as a gift. 

Hina doll decoration of my family style

There were many ornaments in the set of Hina dolls. However, due to the compact size of the city, it was not possible to secure a place to store everything. So, the only set I have now is a king, a queen, three lady-in-waiters, and a red cloth.

Hina dolls taken from slightly below

Period to decorate

The period to decorate is about one month. It's usually from Setsubun to the morning of March 3rd. There is a jinx that if you extend the decoration on March 4, your daughter will fail to get married.

Various Types of Hina Doll Sets

There are various types of Hina dolls. There are various sizes and materials, and it is best to choose according to your taste and purpose.

Authentic Hina doll set has five instrumentalists at the bottom.

Compact Hina dolls made of paper can be placed anywhere

The full-scale Hina doll set has
the king and princess at the top,
and many servants and
household items are lined up underneath.

The wooden hina dolls have a natural taste

Summary

The custom of decorating Japanese Hina dolls is in praying for their daughter's happiness. There are various ways to decorate the Hina dolls, so it's best to decorate them as you like.

I Love You, Onochord

YOKO ONO PASSAGE FOR LIGHT

Onochord, I love you

Onochord is one of the works of art by avant-garde artist Yoko Ono. LED pen light. The original usage is to send a light signal with light, which is inspired by Morse code. Blinking "i ii iii" (indicating that one minute of i blinks quickly) means "I Love You".

Yoko Ono

Yoko Ono (1933-) is an avant-garde artist, musician and peace movement activist from Tokyo. She married John Lennon (1940-1980), a British singer-songwriter and member of The Beatles, who worked together in peace, music and creativity.

Peace movement with John Lennon

Yoko met John Lennon on November 9, 1966. John, who visited the day before Yoko's solo exhibition "Unfinished Paintings and Objects" in London, was attracted to the work "Ceiling Painting" exhibited there. It was a work in which the audience climbed a white stepladder in the center of the room and used a magnifying glass hanging from the ceiling to find the small letter "Yes" on the canvas attached to the ceiling. The concept is that the actions of the audience complete the work. John thought, "This is the first art exhibition that makes me feel warm." After that, they developed their own "love and peace" activities against the intensifying Vietnam War at that time.

In September 1971, they moved to New York. It was just before the release of the album "Imagine". They participated in rallies seeking bail for anti-war cultural figures and protests against the Northern Ireland conflict. They also actively performed in prison victim relief concerts and children with intellectual disabilities.

“Imagine” has been inspiring to us, which is meaningful for the Age of Aquarius

Husband does housework, the role of a pioneering couple

On October 9, 1975, a son was born on Lennon's 35th birthday. The couple reviewed their roles, with Lennon in charge of childcare and housework, and Yoko in charge of household and business. Their ideas were pioneering at the time.

John's death

In 1980, when Yoko's son turned five, John resumed his musical career. Shortly thereafter, on December 8, John was shot dead in front of his apartments at home. The next day, Yoko issued her statement: "There is no funeral for John. John loved and prayed for the human race. Please do the same for him. Love, Yoko and Sean."

Yoko complained that she couldn't sleep because of the singing voice of a crowd praying outside, and asked them to meet again at Central Park the next Sunday and remain silent for 10 minutes. On December 14, 1980, millions of people responded to Yoko's call in memory of John around the world, offering a 10-minute silent prayer. More than 225,000 people gathered in Central Park, New York, right next to the murder scene.　

Yoko's consistent posture

After the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, Yoko posted a one-sided advertisement "Imagine all the people living life in peace" in the Sunday edition of the New York Times on September 23, 2001, which is her 13th day. did. In response, the US government has asked broadcasters to refrain from broadcasting "Imagine."

In October 2004, when Yoko was asked at a lecture in Tokyo, "What do you think of al-Qaeda?", She said, "Rather than criticizing or thinking about people, your own. You should think about your health, "she replied. This is a manifestation of her consistent attitude of not being on either side of the battle.

Conclusion

Action for love and peace is important. It can be a small thing. For example, tell people around you I love you on Onochord. Many people have given up on something simple but very important. Maybe John and Yoko, the pioneers of the New Age, have been doing music and peace activities to make them aware of it.